Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Statement on the President's State of the Union Address

Statement

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) today released the following statement on President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech to the U.S. Congress:

"For too long, economic policies have stacked the deck against middle-class families, and in favor of ballooning corporate profits. Many families in Hawai"i, and across the nation, are struggling just to make ends meet, preventing them from building a brighter future for themselves and their families. When a corporate CEO pays a lower tax rate than their secretary, we see this stark inequity in action. Tonight, the President took a positive step toward addressing the vast and growing trend of inequality, and I welcome his proposals that will support job creation and encourage opportunities for growth and entrepreneurship.

"Today, we have the opportunity to lead the world as the preeminent innovator of the 21st Century. We have the top schools, the best workers, and the most daring entrepreneurs who have transformed our young nation into the leading economy in the world. Unless we seize the chance to define our own economic future, we risk losing more good jobs to the growing economies around the world and perpetuating the troubling trend of inequity.

"While the President highlighted opportunities to grow our economy and support middle-class families, I was disappointed that he did not seriously address the serious overreach of the National Security Agency and its violations of innocent Americans' privacy and civil liberties. This issue is one of the greater challenges this generation will face. We must tackle the tough debate over how to protect privacy while also defending our nation from terrorists. It's clear that serious reforms will need to come from Congress, and I will continue to push for smart, targeted changes that help to strike this balance, and protect the freedoms so many selfless Americans have fought and sacrificed for."

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